Remembering Sudirman: There should be greater appreciation for the late – Habsah Hassan

Remembering Sudirman: There should be greater appreciation for the late – Habsah Hassan

KUALA LUMPUR: Perhaps, it is not an exaggeration to mention the late Datuk Sudirman Haji Arshad as the favorite entertainer of all Malaysians.

Regardless of race, everyone must be used to hearing the voice of the late.

If not through the melancholy of his love verses, his voice will definitely be a treat every time Hari Raya or Independence Day celebration arrives.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of his passing and during that period, the legacy of the late remained strong on the stage.

However, for an artist like him, it is not enough just with words of appreciation and a gift of prayers to commemorate the glorious history that he once sketched.

“It is not enough just to have a tahlil ceremony or prayer every year. We need something in physical form for the next generation.

“We have not produced many artists of his caliber. The country has to do something more, make the late and his works a treasure.

“This is the heritage of the nation, we need to show pride in this one gift from God,” said prolific lyricist, Datuk Habsah Hassan who is also a close friend of the late Sudirman.

Without the right form of appreciation, Habsah said, it would be a huge loss for future generations who may not have the opportunity to recognize or hear Sudirman’s works.

“The National Museum or the National Archives can do something. God has endowed us with a special artistic person like him, with a far -sighted mindset and not only entertaining but also reminding us of humanity and the spirit of love for the country.

“I know he has been given the title of Datuk by the state of Pahang, now I am waiting to see what will be done at the national level.

“I can tell that Allahyarham’s grave is not well taken care of, this makes me feel sad and sorry. We do not want to glorify him but just want appreciation for his irreplaceable abilities and talents,” he said in an interview in the AWANI Bulletin, today.

The lyricist of Salam Terakhir also scanned the moment of production of the lyrics of the ‘haunted’ song and admitted that he never expected how the script would impact Sudirman’s life journey.

“Allahyarham never asked me to write lyrics on the theme of death and departure like that. There was only one time, the two of us, along with a few other friends sat chatting and Sudirman who was still healthy at the time mentioned death and told that he felt he would die young.

“When I came home, the matter played around in my mind until the lyrics of Salam Terakhir came out. I never thought that he would really leave us all at a young age,” Habsah said, recalling a memory that was tightly stored in the box of his mind.

The late Sudirman breathed his last at his sister’s house in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur on 22 February 1992 due to pneumonia.

During his life, the late created extraordinary success including being named the Best Asian Entertainer at the Asian Popular Music Awards in 1989.

Also a sweet memory was Sudirman’s concert at Chow Kit Road on April 14, 1986, which to this day still holds the record for the largest concert ever performed by a local artist, with an attendance of over 100,000 fans.

-Madiha Abdullah

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